Etched article and process of producing same



y M. w. NOERENBERG 1.719.719

ETCHED ARTICLE AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME Filed July 25, 1928 r 2Sheets-Sheet l fiwemfof M/NA WA/Of/PE/VBERG July 2, 1929. M. w.NOERENBERG ETCHED ARTICLE AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME Filed July 25,1928 @Sheets-Sheat 2 lLlHIIIIl ITITIl IJ 'fm/zmfor H6 M/NA W/VOEEENBERGF MM-FWW Arraggs'rr Patented July 2, 1929 1mm w. NOERENBERG, orMI'NITEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ETCHED ARTICLE AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME.

Application filed Il'uly 25, 1928. Serial K 2953413.

It has been customary prior to my. invention to etch articles'formed ofmineral substances such as china, glassware,'marble, brass or othermetals, and other materials by placing upon the article to be etched acoating of acid-resisting material and removing such coating so as toexpose the underlyingmaterial on the lines of the design it is desiredto produce on the article. The article is then submitted to a suitableacid preferably by being given an acid bath and the acid removes thematerial to a sufiicient depth to produce a sunken or intaglio design.In some instances the design of protecting material is painted by handon'the article to be etched, or a die is formed by means of which thedesign of protecting material may be impressed upon the article.

It is customary afterthe design has been etched upon the article toremove the protecting material and to apply an encrusting material suchas gold encrusting paste, or lusters in china paint of various kinds, orchina paints in the form of a powder. mixed with a suitable mediuintothe etched surface and then to permanently aflix such encrustingmaterial to the articleby firing or application of heat.

Those processes which employ hand work for producing the'design in theprotecting material or paintingzthe design on the article with theprotecting material require a great deal of time and can only beproduced by skilful workmen. The processes which require the forming ofa die or mold for the ap plication of a design are expensive and in manyparticulars unsatisfactory.

It is the object of my invention to'improve existing processes in amanner that will permit a quick'l application of the protecting materialin varying artistic designs to the surface to be etched, permitting thedesigns to be varied to an indefinite extent while anynumher of articlescan be produced having designs that produce the same general effect. v

My invention consists generally in an etching process in which aresisting material is poured in a liquid condition onto the surface tobe etched in fine streams of varying thicknesses or diameter fallingirregularly according to the fancy of the operator upon the surface tobe etched and thereafter sub-v jecting the article to action of asuitable acid that removes the exposed material to a sufficient depth toproduce a sunken or intaglio design in the unprotected portions of thearticle, the etched-surface thereafter being preferably provided with anencrusting material permanently aflixed thereto by the usual firingmethod.

i The'invention consists further in an etched article produced by thisprocess.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of'a plate formed of china or similarmaterial illustrat ing the process of applying the'protecting materialthereto Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plate with the protecting materialapplied to .the surface to be etched, the main portions of the surfaceof .the plate that is not to be etched having an acid-resisting coatingapplied thereto; 7

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views of a plate having etcheddesigns produced by the process herein described;

Fig. 5 is a plan viewshowing a portion of a plate etched in accordancewith my process;

Fig. 6 is anelevation of a vase etched inaccordance with my process; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View showing a'can or receptacle that may beusedfor pouring the protecting material in a fine stream of desiredthickness or diameter onto the article to be etched. i r Y 7 In thedrawing A represents a plate, vase,

or otherarticle that it is desired'toornament by an acid-etchingprocess; I apply to the surface to be etched an acid-resisting mate'-rial such as turpentine asph altum varnish that is in a fluid conditionand capable of being poured in a streamof desired diameter or thicknessupon the surface to be etched. One method of "pouring the 'material uponthe article'is illustrated in-Fig. l of the'rdrawings in which thematerialisbeing poured or allowed to run freely from a brush 13 held inthe hand of the operator. Instead of using a brush for this purpose acan or receptacle 0 having a pouring opening or orifice may be employed.An ordinary open pitcher having a pouring lip or mouth may beconveniently used for this purpose.

The operator may vary to a considerable extent the thickness or diameterof the line formed by the stream striking the surface of the article tobe etched, as'indicated in the figures of the drawings, wherein finelines are represented at 2 and considerably thicker to run onto thesurface to be etched, may produce iniwhat may be called a free hand wayan indefinite variety of designs that are capable of being formed by thelines of varying thicknesses or diameters that are poured or allowed torun onto thesurface to be etched. It will, of course, be impossible forthe operator to exactly reproduce any design but the designs may besulhciently alike so that they'will produce the same general effect andthe designs on any number'of articles etched by this process willharmonize but at the same time preserve the individual characteristicsof the person that executes each design. For example, a set of theplates, illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, may all beprovided with, similar designs although no two of such designs will beexactly alike. l i

It will be understood that the portions of the article indicated at Dand E that are not to be attacked by the acid are covered with a coatingof the protecting material. After the protecting material has beenapplied in the manner described, the article is subjected to an acidbath inthe usual manner to permit an etching action that will form adepressed or intaglio design of any desired pattern.

The acid used for etching glassware, china or other ceramic articles ispreferably hydrofluoric acid which cannot attack or penetrate. theprotecting coating applied to the surface to be etched. The acid actsupon the silica in the glass or china or other pottery article. Wherethe process is applied for etching articles of metal any suitable acidthat will etch the metal may be employed.

Instead of etching the material by means of acid ,1 may apply theprotecting material as hereinbefore described and cut away the exposedsurface to the desired depth by means ofa suitable sandblast.

. I do not limit myself to the use of any particular protecting materialalthough I have obtained excellent results by using a varnish formed. ofasphaltum and turpentine of the right consistency to be readily pouredin a thin stream from a brush, can, pitcher, or other suitablereceptacle.

acid or a'sandblast. M

The novel features of my invention are, however,.set forthin thefollowing claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The process of etching articles formed of mineral substances, such aschina, pottery or metal, which consists in causing to issue from aholder held a considerable distance from the article a thin stream of aprotecting coating on to the surface ofthe article to be etched to formon such surface a free hand line design, permitting such coating tobecome hardened, and then etching or cutting away the exposed surface ofthe material to the desired depth.

2. The steps in the process of etching articles formed of mineralsubstances as china, pottery or metal which consists in causing to issuefrom a holder held-a considerable distance from the article a thinstream of a protecting coating on to the surface of the article to beetched, to form on such surface a plurality of series of free hand linedesigns, the lines of the respective series having varying diameters,permitting such coating lines to become hardened and etching or cuttingaway the exposed surface of the material to the desired depth.

3. The process of acid-etching articles formed of mineral substancessuch as china, pottery or metal which consists in pouring a thin streamof acid resisting material from a holder held a considerable distancefrom the article on to the surface of the article to be etched andcausing a relative movement between the holderand the article/to formlines therein of varying diameters,permitting such material to becomehardened and then acid-etching or cutting away the exposed surface ofthe material to the desired depth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of July,1928.

MINA W. NOE-RENBERG.

